For starters, he's much more interested in talking about the European Football Championships than his upcoming concert with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in the Dunedin Town Hall, where he will be performing Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
The 28-year-old also eschews the international concert lifestyle of many of his contemporaries.
"I'm a guy who doesn't want to travel all around the place," he says.
"I was born in Scopia, in Macedonia, and home is where you feel nice. I teach at the faculty of music, where I finished my education in 2001.
"I want to have a balance in my life, otherwise you spend all your time in airports and hotels. That's no fun.
"I'm just a person who wants to enjoy life," he says.
Trpceski came to public attention at the London International Piano Competition in 2000, before his acclaimed debut at Wigmore Hall in 2001.
"It went wonderful and that was the start of my career, really."
Trpceski released his fourth album on EMI Classics in January, featuring a selection of Debussy piano works, and is in constant demand - when he feels like travelling - all over the world.
His appearance in the Manpower Professional Tour with the NZSO is the first time he has performed in New Zealand.
"New Zealand seems like a fairy tale for me. I like it here a lot. It seems very quiet and very relaxed.
"Maybe you don't realise it, but it's paradise on earth here," he says.
"I'm really, really happy that I'm here. It's quite exotic for me to come to the end of the world.
"I'm especially looking forward to coming to Dunedin, because I've got a day off to look around there."
The 22-minute Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is a personal favourite of the pianist.
"There's a lot of romanticism and humour at the same time. This piece has been written in the form of variations, which are divided into three groups.
"They're certainly changing a lot of moods, which is characteristic of Rachmaninov as a musical personality. He's a master of the lyrical themes and melodies.
"He remains one of the most mind-blowing composers in musical history," Trpceski says.
"This piece needs a lot of work and a lot of concentration of all the musicians in the orchestra. It will be an achievement.
"It's one of the most popular works in the whole of music literature. It's considered his first concerto for orchestras.
"It's a really striking example of what a magician and genius like Rachmaninov can do."
The Dunedin concert will also be memorable for the use of a priceless Gennaro Gagliano violin more than 200 years old.
NZSO concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen will perform on the violin in the premiere of New Zealand composer Kenneth Young's Remembering for Violin and Orchestra.
"Remembering is the perfect debut for the beautiful 1770 Gennaro Gagliano violin," NZSO chief executive Peter Walls says.
"Even in the short time that Vesa has had the violin, this Gagliano is proving to be a source of inspiration and delight."
Romanian conductor Yoel Levi also returns to New Zealand to perform with the NZSO for the first time since 2004.
The Manpower Professional Tour features Symphony No 12 The Year 1917 (Shostakovich), Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Rachmaninov) and the world premiere of Remembering for Violin and Orchestra (Ken Young).
Be there
The concert starts at 6.30pm next Wednesday in the Dunedin Town Hall.
A pre-concert talk will be held at 5.45pm.
